Pupils forced to watch movie by cadre's daughter

Middle-school students say they were made to pay 20 yuan each for screening

Parents and the media have criticised a Shenzhen municipal government order forcing schoolchildren to pay to watch a film produced by the daughter of a senior city official.

Five Shenzhen government departments, including education, culture and propaganda, issued a joint circular last month asking schools to 'organise' students to watch the film Life Translated, the Beijing Youth Daily and China Youth Daily reported.

The 90-minute melodrama, starring Hong Kong actor Edison Chen Koon-hei and an obscure mainland actress going by the name of Niu Niu, tells the story of a 16-year old mainland girl's school life in Britain.

The municipal government circular heaped praise on the film, saying that it had 'successfully depicted the energetic and adorable spirit of our younger generation', according to a notice received by a local school two weeks ago. It strongly recommended students watch the film.

Many middle-school students said they were made to pay 20 yuan each for the screening. The government notice said students from poor families could apply for a fee reduction.

The incident, first reported on mainland websites and later picked up by mainstream official newspapers, has caused uproar across the city.